Page 9 of A Wallflower's Convenient Duke
This feeling became even more overwhelming as Lord McGeary openly glanced toward the curtain behind which themysterious lady was concealed. This was far too close for comfort. A flush of discomfort tinged Philip's features as he hastily redirected his attention to a gilded gladiatorial helmet.
"Hmm, now this is a fascinating piece," Philip remarked, his eyes narrowing as he studied the helmet's elaborate craftsmanship. "Is it from the arenas of Rome, my lord?"
The Baron, a connoisseur in his own right, nodded with a twinkle in his eye. "Indeed, Your Grace. That helmet once graced the head of a renowned gladiator in the Colosseum. A testament to the grandeur of ancient combat."
"Please," he asked quickly, glad to draw his attention away from the curtains for as long as he possibly could. "Tell me more…"
***
Once the negotiations concluded and an agreement sealed for Philip to return to two days with payment, Baron McGeary extended an invitation for a celebratory toast in the billiards room.
Philip, inclined his head in acknowledgment and followed the baron as they made their way downstairs. That way, he could know that the baron was gone, giving Blanche a much-needed chance to escape. Hopefully, she could do so without being caught out…
The corridors of the grand estate seemed to echo with the weight of the recent negotiations. The anticipation of acquiring the late grandfather's antiquities collection loomed large in Philip's mind. He walked with measured steps, contemplative and guarded, his thoughts weaving through the intricacies of the agreement.
As they approached the billiards room, the murmur of voices and the clinking of glasses signalled the continuation of the evening's festivities. The atmosphere shifted from thetension of negotiation to the anticipated celebration. Lord McGeary, ever the gracious host, led Philip into the room, where an array of gentlemen awaited, their faces alight with the prospect of revelry.
The room was adorned with the opulence befitting high society; rich mahogany furniture complementing the gleam of polished crystal glasses. A hint of anticipation lingered in the air as the gentlemen prepared to raise their glasses in celebration. Philip—though reserved—allowed a measured smile to grace his features as he observed the camaraderie unfolding in the midst of the celebration.
As the baron proposed a toast, glasses clinked, and the echoes of congratulatory remarks filled the room. Philip, ever composed, joined in the collective cheer, his mind still tinged with the gravity of the agreement struck. Amidst the revelry, the Duke could not help but wonder how this acquisition would alter the course of his solitary existence, woven as it was with the threads of his father's legacy and his own guarded heart.
